St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-17
CONKIJNG,s COWARDICE.

Roscoe CoNKLING has unwittingly ex-
posed his hand That distinguished
gentleman has been posing for some
time back as a permanently retired
statesman, but it now leaks out in a
curious way that the fires of political
ambition are still burning in his breast,
and he is even more sOlicitouS now
about his political record than he was in
the heyday of his power. When Mr..
CoNKLING was boss of the senate he
was not over particular about his record.
He had so much confidence in the per-
petuation of his supremacy that he
didn't care to waste time in looking
after the little details of political life,
or to bother his mind about keeping an
absolutely consistent record. 1t is diff
ferent with him now. His reverSeS have
taught him caution.
Mr.. CoNKLING was recently employed
by the state of Virginia to defend case
in the supreme court of the United
States. The principal question involved
in the case was one of state rights. The
case grew out of question relating to
the prolonged Virginia debt Squabble,
where federal circuit judge attempted
to annuI and set aside decision rem
dered by the Virginia supreme court.
The point was that state had certain
rights in the management of its do
nestle affairs with which the federal
government had no right to interfere,
and. that where in such cases the fed
eral courts did interfere, it was the duty
of the state officers to follow the de-
ciSion of the state courts. Mr.. CONK-
LING was consulted and he agreed with
the Virginia authorities in their interpre-
tatiOn of the constitutional limitations
existing between the states and the fed
eral government and agreed to act as at
tOrney for the state in case that was
to be made up in order to bring the
question before the supreme court of
the United States.
Mr.. CONKLING has big reputation as
q constitutional lawyer, and cOnse-
uuently his services in court come high.
1t is stated that $4,000 fee was to be
his reward for appearing for the Virgin
ians in this case, and he was expected
to spread himself in the argument as he
had never done before. But when
the time came around for the
case to be argued before the
court COMBINES effort was the
tamest of his life, and, as the reporters
describe a hanging scene, the speech
fell with ''a sickening thud." 1t was
the deadest failure on record. The
cause of MI. CoNKLING's lameneSs in
this instance is attributed to the fact
that he was afraid to go on record as an
advocate of state sovereignty, for fear
that it might rise up to plague him in
the pursuit of future political prefer
ment. The incident is characteristic of
Roscoe CoNKLING. His course in the
matter is only duplicate of his course
in relation to the electoral commission,
which was a diSgraceful exhibition of
moral cowardice. He was convinced
that HAYES had no title to the preSi-
dency and said so. Yet when the time
came for him to go on record he swal-
lowed his convictions and played the
arrant coward. Before allowing his
courage to dribble out at his finger ends
in the Virginia case, Mr.. CONKLING
ought to have fortified himself by read
ing the Illinois state motto. Illinois is a
great state, and is rOck-ribbed in its
Republicanism. 1t was the home OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN and JOHN A.
LOGAN, and yet to-day, as the silken
folds of the Illinois state standard kiss
the Western breezeS, it has inscribed
upon it in letters of gold this motto:
Estate Sovereignty and National Unity"